1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cross dichroic prism for decomposing a luminous flux from a light source into individual color light components in a reflection type color liquid crystal projector in which the luminous flux is made obliquely incident on a reflection type liquid crystal display device, and a reflection type liquid crystal projector mounted therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In color-decomposing optical systems in reflection type liquid crystal color projectors, cross dichroic prisms for decomposing light source light into three color light components of red, green, and blue have conventionally been known.
For example, this kind of cross dichroic prism is used as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, which are a side view and a top plan view, respectively. Namely, light source light converted into S-polarized light is incident on a PBS prism 102 by way of a lens 101, and then is reflected by a polarization separating surface of the PBS prism 102. The reflected light is decomposed by a cross dichroic prism 103 into three color light components of red, green, and blue. The decomposed color light components are made incident on their corresponding reflection type liquid crystal display devices 104 to 106. The color light components incident on the reflection type liquid crystal display devices (known as LCOS in general) 104 to 106 are modulated by their corresponding image signals. Thus modulated color light components are converted into P-polarized light and are combined by the cross dichroic prism 103. Thus combined light is straightforwardly transmitted through the polarization separating surface of the PBS 102, and is projected onto an undepicted screen by a projection lens 107.
The above-mentioned cross dichroic prism 103, which performs color decomposition by two dichroic films each made of a multilayer film, is a glass prism in which a surface of a red-reflecting dichroic film 111 and a surface of a blue-reflecting dichroic film 112 are disposed substantially orthogonal to each other. Within the cross dichroic prism 103, each color light component passes through the surface of the red-reflecting dichroic film 111 and the surface of the blue-reflecting dichroic film 112 in succession as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, for example. Namely, the green light component passes through both the red-reflecting dichroic film 111 and blue-reflecting dichroic film 112. The red color light component is reflected by the red-reflecting dichroic film 111 and transmitted through the blue-reflecting dichroic film 112. The blue color light component is reflected by the blue-reflecting dichroic film 112 and transmitted through the red-reflecting dichroic film 111. Here, as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, color light components in the upper and lower halves of the luminous flux are incident on the two dichroic films 111, 112 in respective orders reversed from each other. When the luminous flux is perpendicularly incident on the cross dichroic prism 103 as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, orders in which the luminous flux passes through the dichroic films 111, 112 do not matter.
On the other hand, an oblique incidence type configuration (also known as off-axis type in general) has recently been known, which makes the luminous flux obliquely incident on a reflection type liquid crystal display device surface instead of making it perpendicularly incident as mentioned above. In such an oblique incidence type, the optical axis of the entrance-side optical system and that of the exit-side optical system do not overlap each other. Therefore, the PBS prism 102 used for separating the incident light and the outgoing light from each other in the prior art mentioned above is unnecessary, which makes it possible to prevent the manufacturing cost from rising, the optical axis from becoming heavier, and the optical design from being complicated by the use of PBS prism.
In the above-mentioned oblique incidence type, however, the luminous flux is also obliquely incident on the entrance surface of the cross dichroic prism for decomposing the incident light into the color light components. As a result, the incidence, reflection, and transmission of luminous flux cannot be discussed within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cross dichroic prism 103 as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C. So far, without conducting optical studies from such a viewpoint, the conventional cross dichroic prism 103 has been mounted as it is.
As verified by the inventors, however, the quantity of each color light component varies depending on the order of incidence on the dichroic films 111, 112 when the cross dichroic prism 103 used in the prior art as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B is employed in the above-mentioned oblique incidence type as it is. Thus, as shown in each of FIGS. 16A to 16C, the quantity of light obtained may differ between the upper and lower halves of the incident luminous flux. As a result, the tint and optical intensity of images projected onto the screen may differ between right and left (or upper and lower) parts.